Omake Pfadlib
by GraceTheGraceless
Summary: "In the end, all it took was his name..." •• In an effort to handle things more like Batman, Robin plays the piano to avoid properly expressing his emotions. But somebody hears him singing (somewhat fluffy) ••


Pale fingers press on equally pale keys, calloused texture hitting the smooth, white coating of a piano key. It was far too quiet, even with the gentle tap of the piano keys echoing in an empty room.

_Will I stay where it's safe and sound?_

Despite the cold, empty feeling flooding the room, he kept playing, fingers picking up speed once he was certain no one would walk in. The humiliation of such would be far too much to bare, and would surely be his end.

_Or will I fight 'till I hit the ground?_

Lately he felt trapped. Locked in a bitter cage, doomed to repeat the same cycle day to day. Within that cycle, he had dreams, within which he saw people he loved fall to their doom, and ever mistake that followed.

_Inside this bitter cage, all the flowers wilt down in the crimson sky._

He imagined such sights as he pressed down on the keys, tears threatening to spill over as he did so. The question of how far he could push himself before the tears did fall began to pool in his stomach. His lips parted, bottom quivering as he drew in a shaky breath.

_Take my hand, will we run or stay_

The melody was sewn perfectly together as the words fell from his mouth, landing dizzily on the keys of the piano before floating up with the graceful notes his fingers created. It was beautiful, but if one was to listen closely to the song, they would not only see his pain, they would feel it.

_In this world, full of cruelty?_

Already his eyes began to water, irises glossing over as he trembled. Everything in him told him to stop and just cry, releasing the emotions he had fought so hard to keep hidden inside, but he couldn't give in. Not yet.

He kept playing.

He kept singing.

_Will we take arms,_

It was getting harder to stay cold, calm, collected. To stay as emotionless as Batman. He had built an image around the dark knight, wanting to become the hero he knew he could be. Right now, though...he wasn't the boy wonder.

_With the hopes to see the sun again?_

He couldn't cry now because somebody could be watching. His music had replaced the silence and filled the room with mixed emotions he had locked inside himself. He could no longer tell if the room was empty or not; the whole world could be watching and he would not realize.

_We pray..._

THough it was far from the whole world, it was Wally West. It was Wally West to walked around the farthest corridor and found a strange melody hanging heavily in the air. Following it, he found an almost-distraught boy wonder, tears dripping down his cheeks as he pressed effortlessly down on the piano keys, a sad song flowing from parted lips.

_Do we lack the strength to fight?_

Wally could tell he doubted himself, and that he was trying far too hard to be the hero he thought he could be all the time, no matter what.

_Have we lost the will to fly?_

Wally remembered when music made by his hands was joyous and expressive of the happiness he felt. Now it was depressing, filling with all the pain and guilt he must have felt for so long.

_The world is dark…_

Wally took a tentative step towards his friend, unsure if he should act.

_The world is cruel…_

The tears fell as though he was choking, holding back horrible sobs in favor of remaining as cold and distant as he could. Damn that Batman for teaching him to be so emotionless.

_But still, we hang on tight…_

He was going to save him. Wally was a hero, damnit! And if he was in trouble...Wall would save him!

_If this final breath could somehow save this world_

He takes another step...

_I'd breathe my last sigh and close my tired eyes_

...and another...

_And all the ones we lost, we'd find again_

...until he's directly behind the boy wonder.

_In this beautiful world we've wished for._

He still doesn't notice Wally's presence, or maybe he does. Either way, he continues playing, singing, and crying, though he would probably deny that any tears had been shed.

_But the world grows darker…_

Wally reaches out, almost scared to see the reaction his best friend would have.

_We can't recover... _

He slumps over him, lanky arms wrapping around his neck and collarbone, head resting in the gap between his head and his shoulder.

_This narrow cage that we depend on slowly crumbles..._

From there, it's easy to turn him around so that he's enveloped in a hug, Wally's hands patting his back in a comforting fashion.

_Is this the end we cannot mend?_

He freezes, limbs going still and stiff...

_We're slowly dying..._

"It's okay…" Wally murmurs, now patting the back of his head.

_If we're here, even with fear,_

"It's okay to cry." he says. It works, and after a few seconds of silence, the boy breaks, sobs falling from between his lips, tears spilling over. In the end, all it took was for someone to say his name.

_We must keep fighting…_

"Everything's gonna be okay, Richard."


End file.
